DoomsdaysCW<p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Landlords" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Landlords</span></a> gouge victims of <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/LAFires" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>LAFires</span></a> </p><p>by Judd Legum and Noel Sims, Jan 14, 2025</p><p>"The devastating fires in Los Angeles have killed 24 people. The fires have burned tens of thousands of acres, and hundreds of thousands of <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Angelenos" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Angelenos</span></a> have been forced to evacuate. The blaze has destroyed at least 12,000 structures and thousands of people have nowhere to live.</p><p>"For most people, this is a horrific tragedy. But numerous landlords in the area are treating it as a <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/MoneyMaking" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>MoneyMaking</span></a> opportunity.</p><p>"A review of rental listings revealed dozens of properties where the landlords have sharply increased their prices since the fires began on January 7. Popular Information used Zillow to identify rental homes in communities near the areas impacted by the fires — including <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/PacificPalisades" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>PacificPalisades</span></a>, <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/SantaMonica" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SantaMonica</span></a>, <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ManhattanBeach" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>ManhattanBeach</span></a>, <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/HuntingtonBeach" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>HuntingtonBeach</span></a>, and the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/SanFernandoValley" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SanFernandoValley</span></a> — that have increased their asking price over the last week.</p><p>"While not every rent increase is evidence of <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/exploitation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>exploitation</span></a>, the timing and scale of many increases strongly suggest <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/PriceGouging" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>PriceGouging</span></a> is occurring.</p><p>"In Manhattan Beach, for example, Popular Information identified a five-bedroom home listed on December 31, 2024, for $8,750 per month. By Monday, the rent was bumped up 125 percent to $19,750 monthly.</p><p>"But it is not only luxury properties with ocean views whose prices have skyrocketed in the last week.</p><p>"A three-bedroom home in <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Tujunga" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Tujunga</span></a>, listed for $4,100 on December 28, was increased to $8,500 on January 7, the day the Pacific Palisades fire broke out, 93 percent higher than its initial listing price."</p><p>Read more:<br><a href="https://popular.info/p/landlords-gouge-victims-of-la-fires" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">popular.info/p/landlords-gouge</span><span class="invisible">-victims-of-la-fires</span></a><br><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/PredatoryLandlords" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>PredatoryLandlords</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CapitalismKills" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>CapitalismKills</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CapitalismMustDie" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>CapitalismMustDie</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/RentGouging" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>RentGouging</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Unhoused" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Unhoused</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/California" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>California</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/UnaffordableHousing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>UnaffordableHousing</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Housing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Housing</span></a></p>